1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheel enclosures and more particularly pertains to wheel enclosures which may be adapted for preventing unauthorized use of vehicles having strut-mounted wheels such as shopping carts, baby strollers, or aircraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of wheel enclosures is known in the prior art. More specifically, wheel enclosures heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of covering wheels are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for preventing unauthorized use of vehicles having strut-mounted wheels such as shopping carts, baby strollers, or aircraft in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,519 to Burrows discloses a protective wheel enclosure for use with a stored vehicle to prevent or restrict damage to a selected wheel set thereof. The enclosure provides a bag-like container to completely enclose the wheels to separate them from the surrounding environment. A pouch of desiccator is incorporated into the interior of the enclosure to effect removal of moisture therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,609 to Flint describes a wheel enclosure for encapsulating a wheel. The enclosure has a cylindrical shape with a cylindrical side wall and circular end enclosures whose inner diameter and inner height are greater than the size of the wheel, thus forming a cavity within which the wheel may be placed. The enclosure is separated into two parts on the cylindrical side wall along an elliptical parting line, including: front and rear container halves. The elliptical parting line of the rear container half forms a mounting shelf upon which the wheel may rest, and also forms a wheel accessible opening in the uppermost cylindrical side wall for easy removal of the wheel.
The prior art also discloses a hinged box as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,278 to Mari, and a case with a hinged cover as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,882 to Goncalves.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a wheel lock device for preventing unauthorized use of vehicles having strut-mounted wheels such as shopping carts, baby strollers, or aircraft. Furthermore, none of the prior art devices teach or suggest a way to prevent a strut-mounted wheel from rolling across a supporting surface.
In this respect, the wheel lock device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing unauthorized use of vehicles having strut-mounted wheels such as shopping carts, baby strollers, or aircraft.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved wheel enclosures which can be used for preventing unauthorized use of vehicles having strut-mounted wheels such as shopping carts, baby strollers, or aircraft. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to develop wheel enclosures. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.